There is something heavenly about a freshly baked muffin bursting with juicy tart cherries and topped with a lovely almond streusel. That is exactly what you’ll find here in this Almond Cherry Muffin made-from-scratch recipe. So simple, yet so scrumptious that your taste buds will be singing for joy as soon as you sink your teeth into this melt-in-your-mouth muffin.
It’s the perfect afternoon snack for kids just getting home from school, a grab-and-go quick breakfast as you scramble out the door or a sneaky bite that satisfies a midnight craving. Baked culinary bliss is found in these Cherry Muffins with a rich almond flavor running throughout. If you love cherries, check out this Tart Cherry Cheese Cake or my Sweet Bing Cherry Pie Recipe.
How to Make the Best Almond Cherry Muffins with Streusel Topping
Main Ingredients you will Need
The beauty of baked goods is that pretty much everything you need, you’ll have access to in your pantry and fridge. The exceptions for this recipe might be the almond extract (it is so worth the purchase) and the frozen cherries.
Dry Ingredients. All-Purpose Flour, White and Brown Sugar, Baking Powder and Baking Soda, and Salt.
Wet Ingredients. Eggs, Butter, Canola Oil, Sour Cream, Vanilla Extract, and Almond Extract
Frozen Tart Cherries.
Almonds. Either sliced or slivered.
Making the Streusel Topping
Start with cold butter and cut it into small pieces. Avoid using room temperature or melted butter as that will cause the streusel to flatten out when cooked. Cold butter results in a crumbly topping instead of a gooey one.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour and sugar then add cold butter pieces along with almond extract. A pastry blender is used to cut the butter into flour and brown sugar mixture. Continue cutting in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. The butter pieces when completed should be about the size of peas.
If you’re using sliced almonds add them to a small bowl with flour and brown sugar. If using slivered almonds wait until the end and gently fold them into the mixture.
- You can use a food processor to cut in the butter but be careful not to overwork it as the butter will become too small.
- You don’t want to use your hands as the warmth of your hands will cause the butter to soften.
Making the Almond Cherry Muffin Batter
Mix the butter, sugars, and oil. With a hand-held or standing mixer, cream together the brown and white sugar and butter on high speed until smooth and creamy. This should only take about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the canola oil and blend until combined.
- Why both butter and canola oil? Creaming the butter with sugars introduces air bubbles into the mix which helps elevate the muffins when baked. Butter also adds a distinct flavor that the oil cannot give. The canola oil produces a lighter and fluffier muffin.
- Butter is for the taste and canola oil is for the texture.
Add the eggs to the creamed mixture. Turn the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs. When adding eggs to baked goods, it’s best to add them one at a time, beating well after each one. In this cherry muffin recipe, I added an extra egg yolk to give them a richer and softer texture.
Add sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract. With the mixer on low speed, add the sour cream and the two extracts, vanilla and almond. Blend only until the ingredients are combined.
- When choosing the extracts, go the extra mile and grab the “pure” and not the “imitation.” They definitely are more costly, but honestly well worth the price. Pure is exactly as it says, “pure” with no added flavorings. Imitation is a synthetic flavor.
- Make sure and bring the eggs, butter, and sour cream to room temperature before mixing. When dairy ingredients are at room temperature they form an emulsion that traps air. This allows the trapped air to expand during the baking process which produces fluffier baked goods.
Mixing the Dry Ingredients with the Wet Ones
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix only until you no longer see the flour. The batter will be lumpy at this point but once the muffins are in the oven, the lumps will bake out.
- Over-mixing the batter will cause the muffins to be tough and lose their fluff.
Folding in the Frozen Cherries and Almonds
You can pull the cherries directly from the freezer, with no waiting to thaw. Quickly rinse the frozen cherries and blot them with paper towels to prevent them from bleeding. Gently stir them into the batter along with the almonds. You can use either sliced or slivered almonds. The batter will be very thick once you add the cherries.
- When grabbing a bag of cherries from the freezer section, make sure they are pitted. It will make your life so much easier. I chose tart cherries for this recipe but you can choose any variety that you like.
- Any frozen berry, i.e. blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, etc., will work great with this recipe as well.
Line a regular size muffin tin with paper liners. Use a large spoon or an ice cream scoop to fill the tin. Normally you would fill the muffin tins about 3/4 of the way but for this batter, because it is so thick, I filled them all the way to the top. This gave me a larger muffin, with a tall top.
Into the Oven
The muffins start out in a preheated 425°F oven which seems really hot, I know. BUT this is how you get those “Bakery-Worthy” tall tops. This initial high temperature raises the muffin top quickly. After five minutes you lower the oven temp to 350°F allowing the center of the muffin to bake.
When are the Cherry Muffins done?
These muffins take about 25-30 minutes after the initial high heat. You’ll know they are done when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean or with only a few crumbs hanging on.
Giving the Muffins time to Cool
Once these beauties are out of the oven, let them rest in the pan for five minutes. This allows the muffins to firm up a bit and be released from the sides of the pan. Any longer than this, condensation from the pan can result in soggy muffins. Move each muffin to a wire baking rack to finish cooling.
How to Store these Cherry Muffins
Let them cool completely. Line an airtight container or plastic storage bag with paper towels and place the muffins on top of the towels. Place another layer of paper towels on top of the muffins. These will absorb any moisture the muffins will release. You should be able to store these at room temperature for up to four days.
- Do not store muffins in the refrigerator, as it can change their flavor and texture.
How to Freeze Cherry Muffins
If you’re making a large batch and want to preserve them longer, let the muffins cool completely and lay them on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to flash freeze for an hour or two.
Once they’re completely frozen, place them in an airtight container. These will store in the freezer for up to two months. When ready to eat, pull them from the freezer and let them come to room temperature. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave.
Looking for more baked goods with fruit? Check these out:
Tart Cherry Cheesecake
Layered Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Puff Pastry Apple Galette
Lemon Bars Infused with Lavender
Strawberry Lemon Bars
Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake
Sweet Bing Cherry Pie
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PrintAlmond Cherry Muffins with Streusel Topping
There is something heavenly about a freshly baked muffin bursting with juicy tart cherries and topped with a lovely almond streusel. That is exactly what you’ll find here in this Almond Cherry Muffin made-from-scratch recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Muffis
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 4 tablespoons Cold Butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup Almonds, Slivered
- 1/2 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
Muffin Batter:
- 1/2 cup Butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Canola Oil
- 2 large Eggs and 1 large Egg Yolk
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 12-ounce package Pitted Tart Cherries (2 cups), frozen
- 1/2 cup Almonds, Slivered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease or Line a regular muffin tin.
For the Streusel Topping:
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of pure almond extract.
- With a pastry blender cut in 4 tablespoons of cold butter (cut into small pieces) until the mixture is a coarse texture and the butter is about the size of peas.
- Gently mix in 1/2 cup of slivered almonds.
For the Muffin Batter:
- With a handheld or standing mixer and on high speed, cream together 1/2 cup butter (room temperature) and 1/2 cup each of brown and white sugar. Mix for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Mix in 1/4 cup of canola oil.
- Add 2 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk, one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
- With the mixer speed on low, add in 3/4 cup of sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones and stir only until the ingredients are combined. The batter will be lumpy at this stage.
- Quickly rinse and blot 2 cups frozen pitted tart cherries (12-ounce package) with paper towels. While they are still frozen gently fold in the cherries along with 1/2 cup of slivered almonds into the muffin batter.
- Fill each paper-lined muffin tin to the top and generously sprinkle the streusel topping on each muffin.
- Bake in the 425°F oven for 5 minutes. While the muffins are still in the oven, turn the oven temperature down to 350°F and continue to bake for another 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove each muffin and place it on a wire baking rack to cool.
- ENJOY!!
Notes
For the Streusel Topping:
- For the streusel topping, start with cold butter and cut it into small pieces. Avoid using room
- temperature or melted butter as that will cause the streusel to flatten out when cooked. Cold butter results in a crumbly topping instead of a gooey one.
- Cut the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. The butter pieces when completed should be about the size of peas.
- You can use a food processor to cut in the butter but be careful not to overwork it as the butter will become too small.
- You don’t want to use your hands as the warmth of your hands will cause the butter to soften.
For the Muffins:
- When adding eggs to baked goods, it’s best to add them one at a time, beating well after each one. In this cherry muffin recipe, I added an extra egg yolk to give them a richer and softer texture.
- When choosing vanilla and almond extracts, go the extra mile and grab the “pure” and not the “imitation.”
- Make sure and bring the eggs, butter, and sour cream to room temperature before mixing. When dairy ingredients are at room temperature they form an emulsion that traps air. This allows the trapped air to expand during the baking process which produces fluffier baked goods.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix only until you no longer see the flour. The batter will be lumpy at this point but once the muffins are in the oven, the lumps will bake out.
- Over-mixing the batter will cause the muffins to be tough and lose their fluff.
- Let the baked muffins rest in the pan for five minutes. This allows them to firm up a bit and be released from the sides of the pan. Any longer than this, condensation from the pan can result in soggy muffins.
- You should be able to store these at room temperature for up to four days. Do not store muffins in the refrigerator, as it can change their flavor and texture.
- To freeze, let the muffins cool completely and lay them on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to flash freeze for an hour or two.
- Once they’re completely frozen, place them in an airtight container. These will store in the freezer for up to two months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Muffin
- Calories: 464
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 249 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
Keywords: Almond Cherry Muffins, Almond Cherry Muffins with Streusel, Cherry Muffins, Cherry Muffins with Streusel
I made these for co-workers and they couldn’t stop talking about how delicious they were. Thanks for making me a rock star for the day:) I’ll be adding these to my next brunch menu. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Jill for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so happy that these muffins went over so well.
These look fantastic! Looking forward to making them.
★★★★★
Thanks Eric. I do think you will enjoy the muffins.
Oh man, I am definitely going to make these this weekend! The cherries sound scrumptious and that streusel topping – yum! Thanks for this yummy recipe 🙂
★★★★★
These grabbed my attention because I’m a huge fan of cherries+almond. It’s such a dreamy flavor combination, and who doesn’t love a muffin for breakfast with coffee?! Yum! 🙂 ~Valentina
Awww Thanks so much Valentina. It is definitely the season for muffins and brunches. And yes – coffee and muffins, how can you go wrong?
It’s amazing how well cherry and almond flavors pair with each other! I’ve always loved a good muffin, and I would gladly start any (and every) day with a muffin and a cup of strong coffee. I need to make a batch of these ASAP – in fact, I’ve got some cherries in the freezer I need to use up before we move. 🙂
★★★★★
Hi David. I so agree about the flavors of cherry and almond. They are just a match made in heaven. BTW, good luck on the move.
So good. My husband ate four in one sitting which is strange for him.
★★★★★
Thank you Stacy for taking the time to share. I’m so thrilled that your husband like them so much!
Sounds great! Would I be able to use this recipe with dried tart cherries? Perhaps if I were to rehydrate them first?
Thanks!
★★★★★
Thanks Shelley for taking the time to inquire about the Cherry Muffins. I’ve never used dried tart cherries, but I do think it is possible to use rehydrated ones. I would love to know if that works for you. Thanks again.